NEWS 6 THE WEEKEND NEOS KOSMOS | SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2016 ‘Super’ flu shots introduced for 2016 The new, stronger vaccine protects against four strains of influenza, coping with the virus’ increasing spread this year As we march well into autumn, the 2016 flu season has officially started and a new, stronger ‘supershot’ has been introduced, after last year's record of influenza cases. Each year, the Federal Department of Health issues an official recommendation that everyone from the age of six months should be vaccinated, offering free shots to those who face a high risk from influenza and its complications. These include children aged under three years old, people aged 65 years and older, pregnant women, children on longterm aspirin therapy, those with a medical condition (such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, asthma, respiratory disease, immunosuppression, lung disease, chronic neurological conditions etc.), as well as Aboriginal and Tor- res Strait Islanders aged 15 years or older, who are more prone to the virus. For the first time, the publicly-funded vaccine program will offer the quadrivalent flu vaccine (QIV), which protects against four instead of three strains of flu, expanding its effectiveness to include the Brisbane and Phuket strains of influenza, after last year's record flu cases. "There were 90,000 reported flu cases in 2015, that's 25,000 higher than the previous record, so we know that more people are getting the flu," Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley stated, stressing that the government works closely with vaccine producers to ensure their product meets the constantly-changing protection needs. Flu strains are termed ‘A’ (H1 and H3) or ‘B’. Among last winter's laboratory-confirmed influenza reported cases, 60 per cent were B viruses, which urged the government to shift from the vaccine used for decades in Australia, the trivalent vaccine (TIV), that protects against three strains of the virus, two A strains and one B strain. This year's government flu immunisation is a quadrivalent that includes an additional B strain known as the Brisbane strain, alongside the Phuket (B), Hong Kong (A) and California (A) strains (strains are named for the locations in which they were first isolated). This new ‘super-shot’ is on the National Immunisation Program and has been granted with more than $40 million in funding, in order to be delivered to vulnerable Australians. Influenza is responsible for 1,500 to 3,500 deaths in Australia each year, either from direct viral effects (such as viral pneumonia) or from complications such as bacterial pneumonia and other secondary bacterial infections. During vaccination, a small amount of inactivated virus is introduced to the human body, which reacts to the components of influenza virus in the mix (which is why some short-lived symptoms of flu might appear after the shot). Vaccinations are recommended from now onwards, with peak flu season usually falling in July-August. DIGITAL.NEOSKOSMOS.COM Medicinal cannabis legalised in Victoria The long fight to legalise the use of medicinal cannabis has seen success, with Victoria becoming the first state in Australia to legalise its use. The historic decision was made on Tuesday, with Parliament passing the Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2015. According to a report by the ABC, Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy said children with severe epilepsy will be the first to benefit, gaining access to the drug in 2017. "We're starting with these children with severe epilepsy, whose lives have been shown to improve so significantly, because we know these children often don't make it to adulthood," Ms Hennessy said. "We want to improve the quality of their life." Up until Tuesday, she says, parents of children suffering from such disorders would have had to purchase the drug illegally. The legislation has now permitted that cannabis products be manufactured and supplied in a variety of forms, including tinctures, oils, capsules, sprays and vaporisable liquids. "I just think that in this day and age, it's unfair and unacceptable to ask a parent to make a decision between obeying the law and acting in the best interests of their child," said Ms Hennessy. "Those parents will no longer have that dilemma." Helen Kapalos, journalist and chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, has made no secret of her efforts to raise the profile of marijuana use as medical treatment. After seeing out her contract at Channel 7, she set out to independently produce her first major documentary titled A Life of its Own. Released in 2015, the pro- duction was inspired by Dan Haslam, a campaigner for medical marijuana, who experienced the benefits firsthand following a course of chemotherapy, before losing his battle to bowel cancer aged 25. Though the bill has been passed, Ms Hennessy emphasised that access to the drug would be a gradual process, adding that it would eventually be made available through palliative care and those diagnosed with HIV. The Victorian government will be undertaking a cultivation trial at a Victorian research facility, which is said to be small-scale and strictly controlled. The manufacture will be overseen by an Office of Medicinal Cannabis, which will be set up by the government. This will go one step further in educating both doctors about their role and patients about their eligibility. Labor responds to family violence Onsite Flu Clinics Fight the Flu this year,   A $23.9 million investment will seek to combat the issue    QUADRIVALENT VACCINE MINIMUM 10 PEOPLE REQUIRED, MUST HAVE MEDICARE CARD Call Linda on 9564 6195 | losman@linkhc.org.au www.linkhc.org.au @LinkHealthCom With family violence a growing concern across Australia, the Labor government has promised to deliver a $23.9 million investment in a bid to overhaul the way the justice system responds to the issue. The announcement was made as part of the family violence package in the 2016/17 Victorian Budget, and comes after the release of a report by the Royal Commission into Family Violence. "The Andrews Labor government is overhauling how we respond to family violence, putting victims first and ensuring perpetrators are rightly held to account," said Attorney General Martin Pakula. "Extra support for victims and greater resources for courts will change the way the justice system deals with family violence." As part of the pitch, Labor says the funding will help to expand legal assistance, and give agencies the resources they need to address issues and begin reforming the system from the ground up. Part of the funding will be allocated to specialist family violence responses specifically for culturally and linguistically diverse victims and perpetrators in the corrections system, while the bulk of the money will be put towards reviewing and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews PHOTO: WWW.PREMIER.VIC.GOV.AU expanding men's behaviourial change programs. Under the budget, police will also gain access to greater resources to be able to promptly respond to family violence; Victoria's police force will soon undergo a trial with body-worn cameras. 51854